As is known in the art, current production automotive vehicles have internal combustion engines that have catalytic converters to reduce emissions of regulated gases. The regulated gases include hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen. The catalytic converter contains various catalysts that react with the exhaust gases to convert them into other gases.
One catalytic converter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,639 issued Jul. 14, 1981, inventors Tadokoro et al. Such patent describes a catalytic converter having a pair of catalytic members (i.e., a front member and a rear member) with an annular spacer ring therebetween. Exhaust gases pass from the front member through the hollow portion of the ring and then through the rear member. An oxygen sensor is disposed in the hollow portion of the hollow annular ring for measuring the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. The spacer ring has tabs or pawls that projected within the hollow portion of the ring to abut and contact the surfaces of the pair of catalytic members and thereby hold the catalyst members in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the catalytic converter.